Panchayat protest raises heat & dust: Tribal leaders favour appeal to apex court:
Tribal leaders are determined to challenge the decision of the Jharkhand High Court and file an appeal before the Supreme Court concerning panchayat election in the state. Against the verdict of the Court they are in favour of holding panchayat election under the PESA. According to them, PESA is designed to protect the interests of the tribals. By striking down the provision of cent percent reservation of a single post in the scheduled area, they said, the tribal interest will suffer enormously. As many as eight states with scheduled areas have already followed PESA. How can the act be valid in all those states but not in Jharkhand, they asked. While tribal groups put up road blockades at various points in the state, the non tribal groups demanding an end to cent per cent reservation for tribals in scheduled areas continued to take out small victory processions, adding to the tension.

Tribal Recognition of Forest Rights Bill runs into trouble:
The draft bill to restore traditional land rights to tribals has run into deep trouble. The Scheduled Tribes (Recognition of Forest Rights) Bill 2005 drafted by the Tribal Affairs Ministry has run foul of the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF). In a letter to the Tribal Affairs ministry, the MoEF has warned of “irreparable ecological damage of immense proportion” if the bill goes through. The intention behind the proposed Act is to reinstate the tribals’ traditional rights over forests.
See for details in Ministry for Environment: www.envfor.nic.in
See for details Ministry for Tribal Affairs: www.tribal.nic.in

Adivasis gheraoes Raj Bhavan:
Hundreds of adivasis under the banner of Adivasi Adhikar Manch (AAM) gheraoed the Raj Bhavan here demanding to hold the panchayat elections in line with the Panchayat (extension scheduled areas) Act, PESA 1996. The adivasi leaders sought Governor’s intervention and asked him to take immediate steps to safeguard their interests. The AAM leaders also criticized the role of the government and alleged that the state government has had an 'apathetic attitude' towards protecting the interest of the adivasis. ''The reservation issue is not only a political fight, but has become a fight for the existence of the adivasi people. When under the PESA, the panchayat elections were held in eight states why is the Jharkhand government hesitating to hold the election under the Act,'' they said. The leaders said the state government should move the Supreme Court for review of the High Court order scrapping the PESA.

Supreme Court gives time to the state: 
The Supreme Court, hearing the case of PESA in Jharkhand, has given time of one month to the state government to file a counter affidavit in the light of the recent judgment of the High Court withholding the panchayat election in the state.